Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes
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- čas přidán 29. 10. 2021
- The Great Lakes are the largest body of fresh water in the world, totaling some 95 thousand square miles. They are also among the most dangerous of all navigable waters, largely due to the powerful storms that frequently unleash their fury over these inland seas. SHIPWRECKS OF THE GREAT LAKES examines the forces that makes the lakes so deadly and tells the tragic stories of some of the most famous victims of nature's fury on these waters. Learn the true story of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter which took 29 men with her to the depths, and whose fate was immortalized in a Gordon Lightfoot song. Meteorologists explain the phenomenon known as the "November Witch," which is responsible for many disasters, including a four-day stretch in November 1913 when 273 people perished. And hear from sailors who have been lucky to escape with their lives when the weather turns bad. Expert commentary, stunning footage and testimonials from survivors make it abundantly clear why more than 6,000 ships have slipped beneath the dangerous waters of the Great Lakes.
I have Titanic, Olympic, Queen Mary, Ocean Liner, and other interesting Historical documentaries. It is a passion of mine to share the amazing Titanic story for the generations to come. Thank you watching my films and please Subscribe, Like, and Comment. Blessings, Mark.
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Please subscribe, like, and comment. God bless you and Blessings Mark.
Thank you for sharing this video. Those of us who live on the Great Lakes Love, Respect and Fear the beauty and power of these Natural Treasures. Rest in peace all the brave souls lost.
Who is the narrator?
@@difreighterwatcher8603 ww
Beautiful haunting song
My Father in Law Jules N. Boucher was a Captain of a Ship in the Michigan Merchant Marines and was decorated for his service during war time.
I've been on Lake Michigan, in summertime. I've personally seen how quickly the Lakes can turn on you. I was on a charter fishing vessel. A 37ft cabin cruiser. We were 11 miles out from shore. The captain was quietly watching a dark band on the horizon. Moments later, he ordered the 1st mate to get all lines up and stored. We no more than got the last line out, and the captain opened up the throttle and went headed back to shore. Before we reached the safety of the harbor, the waves went from 3 ft to about 7 ft. When we pulled up to the dock the storm let loose and the waves grew to 10+ ft. Later we found out that 17 other small vessels ( some as large as 45 ft) were sank that day. The captain of our vessel was experienced and said the Lakes were not to be messed with, and should be respected always.
Terrifying! We were on a beach at Lake Michigan. We took 15 minutes to set up. Then we saw a funnel cloud pop up and headed right for us..we broke camp in 30 seconds and got the hell out of there……
.
When was this as I have not heard about this and I follow sinkings in the Great Lakes.
@@insertnamehere313 about thirty maybe thirty five years ago.
@@insertnamehere313 we were in Manistee
The crews of the Arthur M. Anderson and the William Clay Ford were absolute heroes for going back out into that storm knowing that it had just taken the Fitzgerald. That was serious bravery.
They also knew the chance to find anyone alive was minimal
@@theodoresmith5272 but they also knew they could be in that situation and it would be good for someone to be looking for them...karma and all that..
The Anderson is always in port here still in Superior WI/ Duluth MN
@@claire33ist My wife and I are going on vacation in Michigan next month. I'm really hoping to get a chance to see the Anderson.
@@curbstomp3126 she’s always on the move! I live in superior wi, Duluth mn, so I always see her☺️
I remember back when I was 20, getting pulled out into Lake Michigan by a rip current that nearly killed me. The scariest moment of my life and I've been terrified of water ever since. The Great Lakes are beautiful to look at from land, and that's exactly where I'll stay. Much respect to the mariners who sail on them, especially Superior.
I swim like a rock so I only go on the great Lakes when I can drive my truck out to drill a hole and fish otherwise I fish from shore
The rape outside of Waukegan harbor when I was about 20 me and my buddies in a his father's big boat came as close to the shore as he was willing to go and there was a little stand that sold beer so I volunteered to jump in the water and swim the rest of the way to the shore and get a six pack and the water was so cold that halfway to the shore I was telling them to come get me cuz I was getting hypothermia and my body was shutting down I freaked I remember trying to keep myself calm but my body was shutting down and I was calling for them and they didn't believe me they were laughing and by the time I got to shore which I almost didn't make it I just collapsed on the beach for a while nevertheless I talked them into getting closer because I had the beer laugh out loud so my understanding is well what I remember is that the lake stays cold until like the end of summer and then it starts warming up enough to make it a comfortable swim
I'd rather chance sailing through the Bermuda triangle again than risking the great lakes. I've been ankle deep in Superior, and that was more than enough.
I grew up in Chicago and remember whe seiches happened. People were swept off piers.
@@johnhamelin989😂 I would just drink it on the beach
The man who cut the bells name is Bruce Fuoco a close friend of our family. He later had a stroke from diving and retired from diving to work on ocean kayaks for handicapped individuals.
A true hero to bring a sense of closure for the families involved.
An actual stroke or the benz
@@davidwoermansr there is a difference you know.....
I've always lived by Lake Michigan. but I never knew how rich the Great Lakes maritime history is. Something about it is just fascinating to me. I always forget that they aren't just normal lakes, they're practically freshwater oceans!
Yes...I am from the coast of New Hampshire but moved to Michiana a few years ago...When I first saw lake Michigan I felt like I was back at the Ocean!
There beast. I’m from Ontario, I use to work in Alberta and when I would fly back and forth even when your up 30000 feet when you look out you’d swear you’re over the ocean!
How well do you know the state
Many years ago I met one of the 2 survivors from the Carl Bradley at a museum in Rogers City Michigan. As we stood by the Bradley display he retold the story of what happened and talked about the type of guys the crew was made up of. I wish I had been able to record him. It was a true honor to met him and hear the tale from someone who lived it.
Don’t you just want to sit at their feet for hours? Greatness!
Wow. What a once in a lifetime opportunity. I could have listened to his stories for hours! Great information, thank you for passing it on.
@@cessaly100 Yes! Absolutely.....
@@cessaly100 not greatness just a survivor who has retained the memory...and the nightmares
Words I live by…alone that is…a woman never let that be
In March of 1985, I was in Evanston Illinois on business. One of the locals asked if I had ever seen the Great Lakes and I told him no. We walked down to the shore of Lake Michigan and I was truly amazed at what I observed. The weather was freezing and the wind was stout. I was living in Texas at the time and was familiar with local lakes and the Gulf of Mexico waters. I looked at the waves and white caps on Lake Michigan and was in awe of the height and strength of the waves. I remember thinking this is not a lake, it's the ocean. I can only imagine the terrible last hours of Edmund Fitzgerald's crew on that fateful night. The recovery of the ship's bell was very moving and a wonderful comfort to the family members. This is a well-documented story, thanks for sharing.
I grew up in Michigan and going to Lake Michigan regularly and always thought if this is a Lake why would anyone want to go out to sea. I always had a great respect that bordered on fear of the Great Lakes.
The waves in the Gulf of Mexico get 3x bigger than the Great Lakes.
@@krakenwoodfloorservicemcma5975 I've heard the biggest danger of waves in the Great Lakes isn't necessarily the size but how close together they can be combined with size. I can imagine due to the shape of the Gulf of Mexico that something similar could happen in areas there.
The biggest danger of the Great Lakes is that the Midwest is full of kooks.
Superior truly is an ocean it takes over 24 hours to drive around 1 shore of her by land. The weather is fierce,, average temprature in white river ontario - 26 , in the lake superior area with some days as cold as -35 from december thru febuary. Thats before you factor in wind...thats cold, your car wont start in that weather , we put engine block heaters on cars here and diesel trucks are just left idling
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours" those words chill me every time I hear the song!
You are not alone in that. Gordon Lightfoot really encapsulates the majesty and terror of a Lake Superior winter storm.
Me too. When minutes turn in to hours. Yes we at sometime have been their. All of us. Thank God I am not alone. I have JESUS CHRIST at my side. Thank you LORD.
Me too. ALL these years later! Life on the Great Lakes aint no joke .
@@thomasayer7511 You know thAt's right. Never has been, never will be.
@@aletaimmonen1371 Amen!
I was told horror stories about ships going down in Lake Huron while camping at the beautiful Pinery Provincial Park. Hearing about the shipwrecks scared me so much as a kid especially when my uncle said "seaweed is the fingers of the dead trying to pull you down"
That is spooky.
Lake Superior has a soul. She does NOT suffer fools at all. There are over 5000 shipwrecks at the bottom of the Great Lakes all combined. I now live in Manitowoc Wisconsin This area is strewn with sunken ships. While I love the storms in November, I am happy to watch the storms and their power and rage from the warmth of my own home..
I guess that's why they say lake superior doesn't give up her dead
@@1TruNub lake Superiors temperatures are hypothermic......flesh does not decay or bloat to make float because there is no bacteria to make flesh decay. Survival in those temperatures are a few minutes. The lakes does not give up its dead.
It's no joke that they get incredibly choppy very quickly. I've been out on Erie many times, Ontario many times and Michigan once. Always good fishing, rarely calm. Nothing but respect and admiration for those brave enough to make their living on the GL's
To me as a kid, any other lake besides Lake Michigan was just a pond. It's vastness both awed and emboldened me. The water, even in summer, was so cold it could curl and cramp your toes. But I challenged myself to walk into it up to my neck. To this day, I love to swim in cold water. The Lake leaves its legacy; it imprints its deadly blue inside your soul.
I was born near the Detroit River and raised near the Great Lakes. They are essentially vast, inland freshwater seas and one ignores their potential fury at their own peril. Especially, as this programme points out, Lake Superior. Thanks for posting!
You're welcome
Thank you for the information. Wow a fresh water sea. That's the amazing thing .as big as the sea. I have never seen them I hope to some day be for I die. I'm 64 now . And I do not drive. Bummer.
@@aletaimmonen1371 I hope that one day you will be able to visit the Great Lakes; They truly are beautiful--and awesome
@@harrietharlow9929 I've seen Superior from the shore of Thunder Bay on a bad day and while I don't know how the city got its name, it could well be from the lake, the waves of which do sound like thunder when the wind drives them into the rocks of the shore. Not something that can be forgotten. I believe you need nerves of steel to challenge that treacherous expanse of water and I respect all who do.
@@aletaimmonen1371 Go to Mackinac Island. A small Island off the coasts of the lower & upper penninsulas of Michigan. It's beautiful there. They have horse drawn carriage rides & bicycles to rent. We walked arounf the perimeter of the island several times over the years.
I have been a sailor since 1989. That is the scariest feeling when you are taking on water. Sailors know you may die with the crew, but you are still dying alone. I remember this as well.
I was born in Duluth Minnesota. Spent many summers swimming in lake superior.(or trying too) Couldn't stay in the water more than just a few minutes. It was like jumping into ice. I've seen storms come up over the lake and you would want to run as far away as possible. Very eerie feeling. I would watch many iron ore ships go through the channel as a kid and wave to the crew. Fun memories as a kid.
Very interesting. I'm from England 🇬🇧 and although my family were mariners I had no idea just how treacherous the Great Lakes are. May those brave men, and women, find peace 🙏 .
I live not far from Superior and it’s upset today
I live on lake Erie in Ohio and the underwater current takes swimmer's away all the time. Young strong swimmer's too
@@boostjunkie2320 Ive seen stories about that current! Taking people out, to never be seen again. Scary!
After the Erie Canal was completed the Lakes were heavily used for shipping goods and raw materials.
The best time to go on the great Lakes is the middle of winter when you can drive to your fishing shack
I’ve lived in Tecumseh, Ontario. I’ve been to the shores of Lake Erie and Lake St Clair more times than I could be bothered to count. I’ve seen bad storms hit Lake Erie. Nothing is more terrifying than watching water go from calm to 10 foot waves in less than 20 minutes.
I agree, grew up on the other side of Lake Erie. Growing up near Cleveland we would always be alarmed by the height of the waves at times. We had 12' waves during superstorm Sandy near Port Clinton, supposedly the shallower end of the lake. 70 years before in 1942, a 15' wave swamped the northeastern Ohio coast from Bay Village to Geneva, drowning 7 people onshore as a result.
@@joshuasmith6439 do you have a link to the story? I'd be interested in reading about it
@@joshuasmith6439 Shallow water is the worst for waves
@@joshuasmith6439no
I too live no more than 2 miles from Lake Erie in northeast Ohio. It's truly scary how angry she gets at the blink of an eye!
This narrator is excellent.Really enjoyed,a lesson how we can be humbled quickly by nature.
I think this is the finest, most detailed telling of the sinking of the Fitz I’ve ever seen. Thanks for posting.
My dad was in the Coast Guard. He served on the great lakes and in the South Pacific during WWII. He always said the great lakes were worse when weather got bad.
The Edmond Fitzgerald is my favorite ship. May they all rest in piece🙏God bless their families🙏
Did u hear recently a new study into her wreck was done and might of been proven that the "sisters" is what took her down.
Who came here because of the gordon lightfoot song but stayed to understand and appreciate how precious life is
I was in a 14 foot boat one day in Ontario and the skies were blue and the wind was light. I was leaving a protected bay with an island in front of me. All of a sudden this 14 foot wave hit me and I was airborne. Luckily, I landed flat , picked myself up from the floor and made it to marina at dels fishermen's Bay. The great lakes ain't no joke.
Okay so then the wave was the exact same length of the john boat....
I'm fromMichigan the waves get up to 30 ft@@j_rainsgoat3929
Whenever I look out on Lake Superior, my brain immediately says: “Death Lies Here”.
Even in the hottest time of the year, the water is FREEZING…
The great lakes are no joke and not to be taken lightly. I've been 7 miles out on lake Erie on a small fishing boat when it gets angry for no good reason. Mighty brave Men and Women making a living on these big vessels. Gods blessings to those who have lost loved ones out there. Always attracted to stories like these for some reason and the power of mother nature. Thanks for sharing.
i doubt anything is different in a submarine
And of course, lest we forget, the ships that went down with HUNDREDS of passengers:
- The Lady Elgin - 1860 (300 plus lives lost)
- The Phoenix - 1840's (200 plus lives lost)
- The Eastland - 1915 (800 plus lives lost)
The Eastland was docked at the Chicago River when it rolled.
When I used to crab in the eighties the only time I got nervous was when green water came over the side. A spray is a spray. But green water is the full weight of the ocean letting us know just how small we really are.
It’s even creepier when it hits the wheelhouse and buries every window. I always feared a window blowing out.
I’ve grown up on Lake Superior. I’ve lived beside her for three decades. I know how quickly things can change. I’ve been on a single fishing boat where waves were nearly capsizing us. We went from calm waters to near disaster in minutes…. Never estimate Mother Nature, especially on superior!
I’ve sailed many areas of the world, including some of most known for exceedingly rough seas, the North Sea and the Bering sea in particular. I’ve also sailed the lakes through a few November gales and I can tell you without a doubt that when the Witch comes calling, I’d rather be in the Bering or North seas at their worst because they don’t hold a candle to what comes for you on the lakes, Superior in particular.
I’d love to see your videos, if you’ve got any.
I’ve grown up around the Great Lakes & Lake Superior is basically an inland freshwater sea… it’s no joke
It's my understanding the fiercest seas are at the southern tip of South America.
Wow that's crazy to hear.
@@anthonyvcaraccio5820 I camped on Lake Erie once and it looks like the Atlantic Ocean. I live on Long Island so I’ve seen the ocean many times.
I grew up on southern Lake Michigan. I was amazed how quickly the weather could change for the worse. Great video, thanks.
I don't care how many times I have watched this story there are parts within it that makes me chock up and shed a tear, Rest in peace all those that have gone to their makers home within the Great Lakes.
We lived in Georgia and I still remember exactly where we were when news of the Edmund Fitzgerald aired. TV and the papers talked of little else, yet it was too impossible, too alien to imagine. After all, we put on parkas when it dipped to 50 - and that's barely exaggerating. Our very notions of cold and even lakes paled beside the reality of November on Superior.
To those of you from Michigan, Canada, etc, - if you wonder if anyone cared so far away,...our hearts broke with you.
Rest in peace to the men and extra angels of comfort to their families.
I have a suspicion that the Captain of the Fitzgerald knew that he wasn't going to make it but didnt want to alarm the nearby ship so they wouldn't risk going under as well. That's what that last message meant to me
I thought abt that. I agree with your theory.
I was born in Michigan one year to the day of the loss of this great ship and its brave crew. Fair winds and following seas men.
I grew up in sterling hts Michigan. Graduated in 75. Thr wreck was like we lost our own family member. That's what I felt at the time... rip e f crew.. your never forgotten..
Thank you for this tribute to the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes ,that would normally go unnoticed simply because they lack celebrity; everyday men working and risking their lives for a living. Four Great Lakes that act like oceans.
Five Great Lakes: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, & Superior. Lake St. Clair is part of the Great Lakes system, & were once considered as a 6th Great Lake...
Dude I have been looking for this vid for 15 years since my Music teacher showed us this in 4th grade. Thank you.
You're welcome
I love this narrator, he also did two docu-style articles on tornadoes. One is the March 1925 Tri-state tornado, the other is more tornadoes in general.
He also narrated skits for chappelle's show
All three of those documentaries (including this one) are part of a series called "The Wrath of God: Disasters in America". Would be great to see more episodes from this series posted.
@@joshuasmith6439 I used to watch all of the WOG docs and then they canceled a whole bunch of them on Blizzards NOREASTERS Fires Tornados and even Hurricanes. Too bad.
Being a michigander, and loving the Great lakes, I really enjoyed this video. I watch a diver who visits many of the shipwrecks in the Great lakes and have always wanted to take that dive myself. I love this history. You've gained a new subscriber! I look forward to viewing future videos of the lost and forgotten.
Took a ferry on Lake Huron in November 1979 . I was positive we were going down . The bow of the ferry wouldn’t lock and it was shaking the ship . Terrifying
My wife and 2 kids were on a snorkeling excursion in Mexico 4 years ago and ran into a short but powerful storm on the way back to our cruise ship port...our boat was about 35ft long with several other college kids on spring break aboard. We were hitting 6-8ft waves on the way back during the downpours and my family and I were hanging on for dear life...while the tough college kids sat balling with no fricken life jacket on (in fact I think my family was the only peeps with life jackets on). Very scary ordeal and to be honest I thought we were done for...never want to experience that again! The only thing that kept my wife and I calm was the fact we were all together and if we went in and didn't make it we would at the very least be together on the other side...
I live in Saginaw Michigan and I never knew anything about the Great Lakes shipping history. This story is fascinating and heart breakingly moving.
I worked on a factory trawler in the Bearing straits out of Dutch Harbor, Allution islands. The ship, FT Highland Light. On her maiden voyage, sea trials coming north from Seattle. Ship was 275 foot long with a crew of 75.
We netted 80 ton of fish every 4 to 6 hours. I operated a BAADER 182 fish fillet machine. 120 fish a minute ,5 ton an hour. Grueling work. Ship was a factory processor. So netted, filleted, froze or minced or dried. Stacked in the freezer hold.
Out to sea for three thirty day contracts. First thirty day contract totaled nearly 1.9 million pounds of finished product.
Three groups of ten pulled ship to dock with six inch diameter ropes. Had a hatch, door, on side of ship. Once docked, opened hatch and climbed up six feet to dock. Three days later after unloading and resupplied. Hatch was twelve feet above dock.
One contract ship was in fifty foot swells. Net became wound up in props killing both engines. Afloat without power to engines for two weeks. Generators for electric but no control of ship. Engineer was diver but could only dive for thirty minutes every two hours. Two weeks of diving finally freed up one prop enough to start engine and ten knots top speed back to dock.
Survival training to pass had to get into Bailey survival suit sealed in one minute.
Shortly after my second contract a factory trawler sank in eleven minutes. No survivors.
Have more to tell about adventure if interested.
Doubt it... Aleutian islands. .. if you worked there you'd know that.... nice troll though
That's your prerogative. Doubt you can. Still dont beat my experience. Faithfully fulfilled 2 contracts, first as a factory worker then as a technician. Of course it has been over 20 years and the F/T Highland Light went bankrupt now sits for sale. As I heard last.
Definitely tell us more. That must have been hard work, but really rewarding.
Rip to all sailors who died on the Great Lakes.
Born and raised on the north shore of Lake Superior, it was very beautiful that would go from calm and quiet to hurricane force winds, lost a lot of friends drowning on the lake..
Thank you for this great documentary..
Loved the story! Thanks for uploading. There is something very fascinating about the surprising, awesome, power of the Great Lakes, and the ships that sail them, and those that were lost with their crews.
Mark, thank you so much for this upload. I grew up on Lake Erie and we all heard stories of the big storms, the Edmund Fitzgerald and the others. Lake Erie is still dangerous we had a storm in 2019 where a boater died on the lake.
I remeber that one. A few miles east of Sandusky in Huron, a teenager drowned trying to save a paddle boarder. I had seen a few swimmers in the dangerous water but thought nothing of it. A few hours later I saw coast guard boats searching only to realize that one of the swimmer succumbed to the waves
6000 Ships? Does anyone know what there doin'? Hey I got an idea....Lets not go in November huh?
(Inspired by "The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald" by Gordon Lightfoot)
'Neath the wind and waves
Are many mariners' graves
Where lost souls forever are buried
On board that great ship
Till the sea loosed each man's grip
Not one of them even seemed worried
But November's tempest
That great vessel did test
None of its crew were survivors
By waves men were tossed
And all hands on deck lost
Their graves found by deep sea divers
Not many prevail
'gainst a furious gale
That keeps all the sailors a fearing
Save for a sturdy cape
There could be no escape
From sailors and ships disappearing
She listed to port
And then she came up short
As the lake sought right then to claim her
The crew fought all night
To set the ship right
From the unwelcome waters to drain her
But no matter how they fought
Their efforts were for naught
As there could be only one winner
The bow soon was full
Drawn down by gravity's pull
That spared neither saint nor sinner
It was already too late
When The Anderson's first mate
Phoned the captain of the vessel now sinking
"We're holding our own"
But his fate was unknown
As his ship the sea water was drinking
Brave men met their doom
With their great ship now entombed
On the cruel lake's rocky bottom
Sailors nine and one score
Suddenly were no more
For the witch of November had got 'em
I'm not sure if they prayed
Or what price they would have paid
To see another day dawning
But for them the bell did toll
As they sank in the shoal
While the angry sea was still yawning
It's been forty-six years
And an ocean of tears
Since that stormy night in November
To those brave men who are gone
We sing this mournful song
But in our hearts we shall always remember
© 2017 - 2021
Thank you for commenting. This is awesome
@@titanicfilmsbymark Thank you so much. And many thanks for creating and posting this amazing documentary. It's definitely one of the very best out there!
Hello from a fellow poet. Thanks for posting.
Very good very good indeed. Cheers.
@@patriciaramsey5294 Thank you kindly.
Never heard the story about the Anderson and Bernie Cooper. He (they) didn't want to go back out but they did anyway. True heroes.
I’ve lived on 2 of the Great Lakes in my lifetime. They demand respect, and are nothing to take lightly. I’ve also lived at the Atlantic Ocean and the only difference that I see other than the salt is the amount of killer wildlife. The Great Lakes will kill you with sheer power; the ocean can get you many ways.
The Edmund Fitzgerald. May god rest the souls of the 29 men who perished that fateful night
So grateful I made it off the ship that day. Rip to my sailor Brothers. 1913 was a pip of a year.
Well said Mike.
@@JohnnyLaps thank you
Fitzgerald went down 17 miles from whitefish point. I grew up 35 miles from there. The whitefish point ship wreck museum at whitefish point is pretty interesting. Check it out if you every get a chance. They have pieces of the Fitz there
I visited there several years ago while on a motorcycle trip that spanned from my home in Kentucky to the Canadian border. Nothing about that trip has stayed with me quite like our time in Michigan. The beauty of the UP was stunning. After a full day on Mackinaw Island and the next day mesmerized by the Sault Ste Marie locks, our final day was spent at Whitefish Point. Looking out across the waves followed by seeing so many names in the museum of those lost was a humbling and somber experience, yet was incredibly interesting and kept us captivated for hours. Highly recommend it to those considering visiting the area!
Lived in Chicago most of my life...almost drowned in Michigan many times swimming as a kid, the undertoe picks you off your feet and will bash you into the rocks near by Michigan city or near by us steel. and in 2011/2012, i was on a ship that almost sank off of lake Michigan. It was a smaller ship that was taking myself and a local catholic school out on the lake, no more than maybe 40 kids and 20 adults including crew
We got though the locks in Chicago and made our way out, it was a bright October or November day, it's been a while I can't recall
Never the less about an hr in and on the lake, the sky went from sun to snow and sky went near black, visibility was worse than driving on i90 in a blizzard. my God the waves...the waves were immense, they ran over the deck and took some of the backpacks with them that had been left out, most of the kids from the school went down into the hull, the waves eventually sent a Crack up to the side of the bridge (for reference I've lived in California too, and surf...those ways do not compare to Michigan, they are different, where ocean waves are like constant knives gliding in a pattern, Michigan's waves on that day were comparable to a massive ripple after you throw a rock into a stream....and it hits the sides and bounces back into the middle
Sledgehammers in the water....not sheets
Although I don't recall terribly much water, I think there was some forming on the right half of the hull, maybe about 3 inches but I would chop that up to water running off the deck and downwards into the hull
Never the less we turned back and were greated by aleast 40 coast guards men at the locks, just staring at us.
I've been on ships, and I've even driven boats before
But if I ever go on Michigan again, it will have to be in a bigger boat...
Born and raised In Michigan.
My theory is that the mighty fitz likely suffered damage from 6 fathom shoal. I heard another mariner familiar with the ship say that Anderson had two more bulkheads inside which added a great deal of strength compared to the fitz and also that the bilge pumps move water out of the ballast tanks, not out of the cargo hold. The pumps were apparently moving lots of water, leading him to believe there was a hole in the ship.
My theory is that fitz sank lower into the water and the large waves were breaking over the pilot house, until what the crew thought was the final wave was actually the pilot house sinking below the surface and that’s why there was no distress call.
Not likely although that’s a cool theory we actually know what happened with the fitz it had unsecured hatches and filled with water as the ship breached its final wave the ship was to heavy with its cargo and full of water so it broke it half and was swallowed almost instantly
McSorley mentioned he had lost a guard rail, and that doesn't normally happen. My bet is on a combination of factors. Fitz probably did hit, or get hit by (rogue waves are a thing, and they don't appear to be purely wind driven, so they can come from a different angle than the rest of the waves) something that damaged her, but to an extent that McSorely couldn't fully see or gauge. Could have been enough to lower her in the water to where the waves just pounded open one of the cargo hatches even of they had been secured (people forget how heavy water is. The stuff is one metric ton per cubic meter, and when its moving with force and at-speed in a storm, given time, it could absolutely make a hatch cover implode through sheer brute force, especially if she was riding low in the water already). With her bridge up at the front, and in those weather conditions, McSorely would not be able to see something like that happening, and once one of those hatches blew in, no amount of bilge pumps could have *ever* hoped to compensate. It would have been all over in less than sixty seconds more than likely.
The official inquiry found the hatches weren't secure and she took on water. Since then the 6th fathom shoal theory and the theory she wasn't structural sound and seaworthy and had structural failure have emerged. 28 people are dead, arguing about it won't bring them back and I suspect that with the passing of time there is not much to be done legally.
@@noahshort5298 Nobody "knows" what happened, there are no living witnesses so it impossible to "know"
I think she got hit from behind by rouge waves and took a nosedive. Hit the ground and the stern was still out of the water and broke off
Dudley Paquette was the caption of the Sykes. He loaded right across from the fitzgerald. He was renound as a master and a weather hawk. His ship was a weather ship. It had more weather equipment than most other freighters. Dudley knew what he was doing. He says that there was a big storm co.ing out of the panhandle of ok. And he was watching it with great trepidation. He was on the lake that night. He choose a differant route. No where do you heR about his account of the storm or McSorleys prowess. His book The night the Fitz went down. Pretty much sums up his take. Its a good read. Dudley doesn t mince words . It has a differant twist to what happened that night.
Thanks for the info. I might have to check that book out.
I've heard that story. I believe had warned the Fitz of the impending weather conditions expected...
I think that's the book I read.
Thanks, Mark. I live in the middle of the Great Lakes, in the Lower Peninsula of MI. I have always had an incredible thirst for knowledge for the lakes and this explained a lot of the questions I've always wanted to learn.
In my youth I worked on Ise Royal on Lack Superior, I had taken with me a 16 ft out rigger canoe, and when my job there was done I sailed the canoe back to Copper harbor in Upper Michigan. .... I will never do that again!
Gordon Lightfoot, gave the money from that song to the families of the Edmund Fitzgerald
He also set up scholarships for the children of fallen mariners in Canada and the USA
Another great video thank you ❤
I've been out on Lake Huron when the weather started to change and it's one of the most frightening things I have experienced.
...a boat doesn't need to sink to kill someone...my Unc fell down a companionway on his freighter during a storm on L.Superior, died 10 days later in hospital...
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I saw this great video while camping n sitting next to a warm campfire.sipping on hot chocolate...what an amazing time..
What a wonderful time.
Camping? For Pete’s sake, put down your phone.
@@549RR ..why put the phone down?..i watch movies while camping
Fantastic edit!!! Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much. Heartbreaking
For those of us who are left behind, the vast unmarked grave which is home to those lost at sea provides no consolation. It cannot be visited. There is no headstone on which to rest a bunch of flowers. The only place we can revisit them, is in our hearts or in our dreams.
The end of Chris Ks message in a bottle ".. Pray for me." How could he ever have known that his last wish still echoes thru the years and across the oceans. Felt so strongly to pray 🙏 for him and also every Mariner who perished at sea. Amen. Loved this documentary by the way. I've always been fascinated by the Great Lakes... actually for my first College study project I chose The 5 Great Lakes. New Zealand 🇳🇿 here.
28 November 2021. 💯💯❤⚘
30+ foot waves and 100 MPH winds...Nasty!
Very interesting and touching documentary. Thank you
I have a cottage about 2 hours north of superior. Sometimes storm that come off od superior make there way to us. It has gone from bight and sunny to 6 ft waves on a relatively small lake in minutes from those storms. Always watch the clouds and when in doubt don't risk it. And if you feel like anything might go wrong it's time to go back now. I've ran from a few storms where I've hit the lake tied up the boat and got inside and 5 minutes later the storm hit. Those are fun stories to think back on but in the moment they are terrifying. And this is a small lake I can't imagine what the great lakes are like.
Great film, and a fitting tribute these brave, hard working men. They gave ther lives, doing their jobs to take care of their families, and provide for us all. They must be honored and remembered always, not forgotten with the passage of time. So I say to all of the families of those who perished, doing their jobs, I'm sorry for your losses, and I am thankful for their contributions to keep the world moving, and to those who do this dangerous job, thankyou all for your service, be safe!
My hometown is Rogers City. Weve seen our share of life lost on the lakes. Lotta good history you've shown. Great job!! Lotta people have no clue how mean these lakes can be.
A fantastic documentary
Caotain Mcsorley said we don't make money sitting anchored. I say you don't breath or make money being sunk on the bottom of the lake.
Your hindsight is amazingly accurate. 🙄
I was born in Windsor, ONT., but was raised in Dearborn Heights, MI. I remember seeing the Fitz as a kid on the Detroit River. She was a massive ship. I was 7 or 8 years old then. In 1970, we moved to Arizona, and was living there when the Fitz was lost. I remember seeing the news the day she was lost, and reading about it in the paper next day. RIP to Capt. McSorley and crew. (Jan Griffiths).
Born in Windsor myself I can remember even Lake St. Clair could get pretty nasty although a very shallow lake. But my grandfather was a Lake Erie fisherman and had a lot of scary days on that lake as well.
Wow, me to, lol I saw her in the Detroit just one year Pryor to her going down, then seen the weighting on the wall for Detroit and moved to Tucson in 79 , retired from Freeport mine, open pit, last summer and now live in Rio Rico Arizona, just 5 miles north of the border, up in the mountains , love it here... but miss old Detroit, great rock show's, even was at Bobs live bullet show at Cobo hall, one of my last great moments was the 1976 fireworks show on the Detroit river, great times my friend....
“I never been frightened expect in Lake Superior “
That’s how powerful the lakes are
I notice in the crew-manifest list shown at around 5:00 that the "Regina" had a crew-member named "C.J. McSorely"; I wonder if this was a relative of Captain Ernest McSorely of the Edmund Fitzgerald, maybe his father or an uncle?
What a great documentary I've heard of the Edmund Fitzgerald and the song I'm from Milwaukee and never really knew the real story till now...RIP🌺
I wonder if these brave mariners would have a clue that after 100 years there we're still people brought to tears by their plight. Excellent documentary....but I can't say that I'm numb to this. There's a reason they talk about 'Hell or High Water'. So, so sad. Bless the lost x
😓💔 yes Ma'am
Why do they send the ships out in November if the storms get that bad, I was on an aircraft carrier in typhoons, but no way would I go onto the Great Lakes in November!!
Ultimately, I think it's up to each Captain to decide to go or not. I don't even believe the Coast Guard can order them to drop anchor for bad weather. I could be wrong though. I do know they can prevent it from sailing if they do an inspection and deem it as unsafe for navigation.
It's unfortunate that this ever happened because both ships should have dropped anchor on the western side of the lake that day. Other ships had already done so because they knew the storm was coming.
Could an aircraft carrier survive a storm of that magnitude hypothetically?
My goodness what a engrossing video.
Fascinating, really. well done. Thank you from Texas.
Good documentary. I would recommend reading the book Shipwrecks to the Great lakes by Gibbs for those who enjoy kicking back for as long as it takes to read a good medium sized book..
🤠🖖 Thank you, I'll do just that .
Excellent work here. Thank you
The William Clay Ford and Arthur M Anderson were both apart of the AAA class of freighters. They were a class of 8 ships
Apart from its musical qualities, I believe that what makes Gordon Lightfoot's song about the Fitz significant is the accuracy of its lyrics. The song focuses on the Fitz but there are an unholy number of wrecks the names of which you could put in the place of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
There's a guy called History Mystery Man who spoke with a guy who's uncle went down with the Fitz. That guy said he met Gordon Lightfoot and Gordon remembers all the family's names survivors and the ones taken. He really took the disaster seriously.
Very nicely done and respectful. Love the channel
What a fascinating historical story! I’ve heard of this ship and the wreck but never heard the true story behind it til now.
Me neither I heard Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit about it but did not know it was not just a song but a real historical event that I found out did happen in November 1975. It was a long song.
My hometown of Ashland, WI held many family members connected to that great ship (as well as our great lost oredock). I wish I would have paid more attention to their stories...
Excellent Thankyou
Just found your channel, everyone does a great job & love the way you keep it interesting with historical stuff & really good narrator.
Enjoy
Great video.
Superb narration!
Great video. Cheers from Niagara 🇨🇦✌️
I've heard of the story over and over by different narrators and it's just horrific at the loss of life our lakes have taken. My curiosity however, is why did the Fitz go so close to Caribou Island? Being so shallow where she had scraped her bottom. Some time ago Jacque Cousteau even remarked that he would never dive Lake Superior again. That she was more treacherous than any of the seas he has been in.
Heard that the maps were off
The maps the Fitzgerald's captain had to work with were inaccurate as mentioned before (which could have led to the Fitz grounding on a shoal; that ship was damaged somehow even before it snapped when it was pounded by the high waves north of Whitefish Point) AND the Fitzgerald did NOT have sonar. Sonar was not required for ships operating on the Lakes back then. Mind-boggling, I know!
A lot of the regulations back then were out of date with reality and the ships were poorly designed and built, too. Things don't change until you have enough accidents and the public wakes up out of its sleep. They had multiple shipwrecks almost exactly like the Fitzgerald except in at least 2 cases there were survivors! Even with those survivors (3 men), they did very little to change procedures and shipbuilding until after 1975.
The problem with radar (which was inoperable onboard the Fitz the day she was lost!) is that it can't penetrate the water well and give accurate underwater readings. Sonar is good for detecting underwater reefs and undersea mountains but not radar. Radar is good for sea-level upward but not for below the waves; the frequencies it operates at gets absorbed by the water.
I have personally had the honor of touching one of the two Lifeboats from the Fitz". A maritime Museum i was a member of in Toledo Ohio had one on loan from The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish. It was a somber, humbling and harrowing experience for myself and being someone who has no direct relation to any of those who went down on her, i still felt this eerie yet at peace feeling and as i closed my eyes it literally felt like the whole crew of the Mighty Fitz" was standing beside me with each of them resting a hand on my shoulder. For having no connection to such a ship and her crew it damn well felt like i did for those few minutes that i had such a privilege and honor to touch the lifeboat. As i stood There people gathered around in awe as i opened my eyes to find tons of tears rolling down my face and then some older Mariners walked over and joined myself in a soft yet heart felt prayer for the crew of the Fitz" to this day that impact has never gone away nor will it ever and i am thankful to the Heavenly Father for it. For many this whole story means nothing but for the survivors and families of the Fitz and many others......this will forever stick with them. I can only hope and pray that one day when i to Cross the River Jordan" I can meet some of the crew and share happy amazing conversations with them and tons of laughter and maybe.....just maybe.....meet Capt. McSorely and shake his hand and give him a huge hug and salute for a job well done doing his best for his crew..
Being from the east coast, my only experience with The Great Lakes was the 3 times I went on Top Thrill Dragster at Cedar Point. Anybody who's been there knows. That brief second offers quite a view across Lake Erie. As a 14 year old kid it was, and still is, the closest thing I could compare to the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
I spend far too much time at CP during the summer.
thx! great story.
They’re really more like inland seas rather than lakes. I think the word “lake” gives a feeling of innocence to them. The Great Lakes make their own weather, that’s not an innocent thing.
Make their own weather!!!!!!
@@karenwilson712 Yes they make their own weather. I live in West Michigan have witnessed many lake effect weather systems move through
In the early 70s when the Fitz was docked in Cleveland my Dad pumped out water off the ship with one of his oil trucks, and had his lunch and coffee in the galley with some of the crew. So sad what ended up happening just a couple years later.
Thank you for your story.Yes,sad.These lakes are dangerous and not to be taken lightly.